Optical tomography for medical and dental applications is known in the art. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,089 of Izatt et al. entitled “Optical Imaging Device” there is disclosed an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) device which irradiates a biological tissue with low coherence light, obtains a high resolution tomogram of the inside of the tissue by low-coherent interference with scattered light from the tissue, and is provided with an optical probe which includes an optical fiber having a flexible and thin insertion part for introducing the low coherence light. When the optical probe is inserted into a blood vessel or a patient's body cavity, the OCT enables the doctor to observe a high resolution tomogram. The OCT is provided with polarization compensation means such as a Faraday rotator on the side of the light emission of the optical probe, so that the OCT can obtain the stabilized interference output regardless of the state of the bend. See, also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,666 of Mandella et al. entitled “Method and Apparatus for Performing Optical Coherence-Domain Reflectometry and Imaging Through a Scattering Medium Employing a Power-Efficient Interferometer”.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,551 to Tearney et al. entitled “Fiber Optic Imaging Endoscope Interferometer With at Least One Faraday Rotator” there is disclosed an imaging system for performing optical coherence tomography which includes an optical radiation source; a reference optical reflector; a first optical path leading to the reference optical reflector; and a second optical path coupled to an endoscopic unit. The endoscopic unit preferably includes an elongated housing defining a bore; a rotatable single mode optical fiber having a proximal end and a distal end positioned within and extending the length of the bore of the elongated housing; and an optical system coupled to the distal end of the rotatable single mode optical fiber. The system further includes a beam divider dividing the optical radiation from the optical radiation source along the first optical path to the reflector and along the second optical path; and a detector positioned to receive reflected optical radiation from the reflector transmitted along the first optical path and reflected optical radiation transmitted from the structure along the second optical path. The detector generates a signal in response to the reflected optical radiation from the reference reflector and the reflected optical radiation from the structure. A processor generates an image of the structure in response to the signal from the detector.
In United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2003/0086093 to Bush entitled “All Fiber Autocorrelator” there is disclosed an autocorrelator apparatus and method for measuring physical properties of an object where the measurement path is at least semi-translucent to light. The apparatus includes a non-coherent light fiber interferometer and an optional coherent light fiber interferometer in association so as to share PZT fiber modulators.
Despite advances in the art, tomography probes and associated equipment tend to be expensive and difficult to fabricate, often requiring polarization maintaining (“PM”) components. Moreover, many systems require beam-splitters and the like which makes compact fabrication difficult, if not impossible, such that tomography probes are often much bulkier than desired.